1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to pumps and drainage systems in general and to barge drainage systems in particular.
2. Prior Art
Barges are frequently uncovered, particularly those carrying petroleum coke, coal or other similar materials. As such, they often become partially filled with water from rain and from the moisture content of the cargo. Water accumulation can easily total 100 to 150 net tons in open barges traveling the lower Mississippi River. In the most extreme cases, this can actually lead to the sinking of a barge. However, in less extreme situations, water in the barge can still create significant difficulties. The water in the barge can cause the barge to ride lower in the water, making it more difficult to control and increasing the risk that the barge will collide with structures in the waterway, such as bridges and piers. Additionally, a barge riding lower in the water is more likely to run aground as the vessel passes through relatively shallow waters. Where a barge is fully laden prior to taking on water, the added weight of the water may cause the barge to be so overladen, that she is unable to leave the dock until the water is removed. Thus, time may be lost and demurrage charges incurred as the bargemen attempt to remove the water from the barge.
Finally, the presence of standing water at the bottom of the barge prevents all of the cargo from being removed. Cargo such as coal or coke cannot be separated from the water with conventional unloading such as a front end loader. If the cargo is scooped out with the water, it creates a general mess on the conveyor belts that are frequently used to transport such cargos away from the dock. Cleaning such conditions can be expensive, in view of the many environmental laws regulating what can be discharged into waterways. Thus, the portion of a cargo such as coal or coke that has water standing on it is typically not unloaded from the barge.
Obviously, the inability to fully unload a barge can represent significant losses to the cargo owner. However, it also represents downtime for the barge. The water and excess cargo must be removed from the barge and the barge cleaned before it is used again, especially if the barge is to be used to carry a different cargo. Thus, the barge must be taken to a dockyard where it can be cleaned, typically with manual labor, at a substantial expense to the cargo owner.
Some barges are equipped with a sump pump with dedicated lines for pumping out the barge. However, many problems arise with these sump systems. Quite frequently, especially with coke, the sumps become clogged, and they cannot be used to pump the water out of the barge. Also, the pump lines may become stopped up or they may be damaged, such that the barge, which may be perfectly functional except for the damaged sump or sump lines, must be decommissioned for repairs if she is to be able to ship water.
Other barges are provided with a pump that has a permanent intake line that runs from a mouth at the bottom of the barge to a pump at the top. The distance between the mouth and the pump can often be fifteen or twenty feet. This distance, in itself, can cause problems in these pumps in that they often take some time to prime. Also, like the sump systems, the mouth ends tend to become clogged, particularly when the barge is laden with coke. Another problem that arises with these lines is that they are easily damaged. The point of the pumps are to remove water that has filtered down through the cargo and come to rest in the bottom of the barge. Thus, the intake line must run down through the cargo. This is accomplished by simply loading the barge over the intake line. Typically, the loading process does not excessively damage the lines. However, the presence of the cargo prevents the lines from being removed, and unloading the barges is where most of the damage is done to the pump lines. Barges carrying coal, coke and other similar cargoes are usually unloaded with cranes, front end loaders, or other powerful hydraulic machinery. While the intake lines will often be aluminum or steel, they typically cannot hold up to the crushing forces exerted by a front end loader shoving several tons of coke or other cargo against the line. Thus, the lines will often be rendered unusable after only one or two loadings and unloadings of the barge. Therefore, a pump system for a barge or other similar container meeting the following objectives is desired.
It is an object of the invention to remove water from a barge or other similar container.
It is another object of the invention to remove water from a barge fully laden.
It is still another object of the invention to remove water from a barge laden with coke.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an intake line to a pump that is not likely to become clogged, even when dealing with a coke cargo.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an intake line to a pump that may be loaded over.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an intake line that may be quickly primed.
It is another object of the invention to provide an intake line that may be easily discarded after a single use.
The invention comprises a disposable extended sump line for removing water from a barge. The sump line has a pump end and a mouth end. The mouth end has a double layered strainer basket covering its entrance. The pump end of the line preferably has a valve which may be opened to allow water to be introduced into the sump line from above. The pump end of the line is also configured to connect to a pump, so that suction may be applied to the sump line. The double layered strainer basket will keep the cargo away from the mouth end of the sump line and prevent it from becoming clogged. By adding water to the sump line through the valve, the sump line may be primed quickly. Finally, by making the sump line from disposable materials, the problems of damage to the sump line during unloading may be overcome by simply discarding the sump line and replacing it with another before the barge is loaded again.